Developed a ticking noise from the engine area. Poked around with a steth and it seems to be coming from where the timing chain is located. I'm currently running a modded TCT (inlinePro), but I took it off anyway and sandblasted the worm gear to see if it helps. Put it back together and the ticking remains.

A little before the ticking became very obvious, my car started running very rich at idle (11-12 afr). What are the chances that the chain is stretched? Could a stretched chain throw off my timing and cause my car to run rich at idle?

Outside of the ticking and the rich idle, the car seems to be running fine.

To elaborate on the ticking noise, at idle it sounds normal with random tick, tick, ticks every now and then. When I give it a little gas in neutral (around 3k rpm), the ticking becomes more consistant. Same while driving, light throttle ticking is consistant.

Any ideas on what else it could be? Also I did a valve adjustment recently and it did not fix the noise.

Thanks!

UPDATE: Just uploaded a video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py69VPmJNAs

 

i have the same problem as well i also have the inlinepro tct not sandblasted only around 3000rpm is where i here the ticks

 

I have the ballade tct and I get a buzz around 3000rpm, Im almost convinced its the tct itself, Im pretty close to just buying an oem tct to see if it goes away.

 

I highly doubt its a streched timing chain, based on the fact that 3 of you with aftermarket TCT's are having similar symptoms its probably safe to assume that is the culprit.

 

S2000nvegas and I are on the same page about the inlinepro/ballade TCT. We feel it is over-tensioning the chain.

 

i have the same problem. But had it before with an OEM TCT and after with a Ballade TCT. Do you smoke a lot when in vtec?

 

Can an over-tensioned chain make the ticking noise I described?? It sounds more like a chain w/ some slack that is rattling...

 

Does not smoke when in vtec.

 

Just uploaded a video

 

wow! this sound much worst than mine i assume we need to change the chain guides and check your oil pressure also